Hi,
Thank you Santro----thanks for your post.
People take me wrong over here---just in their myopic vision---it is not their fault---it is cultural---.you can only say what you have learnt and what you have been taught---.
JF 17 is a wonderful project that was a must for pakistan---in one shape or form---but pakistanis also have to understand that there are also going to be a lots of hurdles put in place and barriers to overcome to make this plane a success---. Each and every other nation, who could be effected by the sale of this aircraft would have issues with the development of this aircraft.
Nations would do things that they do---undercut the development---we saw in case of france---. We got blindsided by the french about the radar and electronics of this aircraft at the zero hour---which then changed the weapons symmmetry of this aircraft as well---. From a fully mature weapons system we now had to rely on newer weapons systems---the primary being the SD 10B---alongwith the chinese radar system---.
Our project was effected so badly that the coming first 50 of these aircraft were possibly swithced over for ground strike role primarily----whereas our major threat lay against the enemy bvr missile strike---flustered, blustered and confused---we were clueless as to how to proceed---going around in circles---.
We were not preparing against the enemy's strength---we are not prepared against the enemy's primary strike and air dominance capabilities---that is what I have been saying in one form or the other---and most of you thick as molasses have no clue as to what is being said---and the only thing that you can come up with is personal insults on integrity---.
For most..
its not personal.. its business.
The problem is..
The oft used.. and popular saying for this country rings the bell again.
"beggars cant be choosers".
On more than one occasion it was made clear via back channels that the EF typhoon was available to us during the early decade..if we showed the funds for it..
The 2005 earhtquake.. was a pit for the economic rise of Pakistan.
even though aid poured in. the reconstruction took its toll.
Come 2010.. there were some projects underway by the military to upgrade quite a few systems.. and then the floods hit.
For those who do believe in god.. punishment or not.. it was a time of "WHY???"..just let us get up for once.
Still.. its our own past that haunts us.
The shah may have been a lap dog of the Americans.. but at least he was able to get hardware out of em..
Cant say the same about our dictators..
The greatest problem with us.. is mediocrity..where I sit.. I get to bang my head not once.. multiple times.. when I ask a few of my colleagues as to why they did not add a certain component to a system..since that would make it state of the art.
The answer.. shows you where we are;
"because India doesn't have it(capability), we dont need it".
There is no want to go above and beyond when we
CAN..
when the capabilities,resources and intelligence exists to take huge strides..I swear it..
The reason we only seem to make mediocre advances is because that is what our people feel is enough.. they dont want to rock the boat.. make sure the Indians dont go gaga on an even more incredulous buying spree... and when they do anyway...you end up spending millions more in panic buying stuff from outside that you
COULD have made at home had you set the bar even a little bit high.
That is the sad and sorry state of affairs in this country's R&D.
Whether its tanks/jets/subs/electronics/guns.. its just our own leadership.. in the military..and civil sectors to blame.
And all of
US as well.. who really dont want to give a damn what the Army/Navy or Air force is buying.. what MNA or a senator do you think can even tell a JF-17 apart from a F-16??How much they cost, what they offer in capabilities?.. let alone purchases of other equipment.
